


Grace

by samanddeansandwich



Series: Cloaked in the Silence [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3411857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samanddeansandwich/pseuds/samanddeansandwich
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt: "Steve thought that Natasha never really expressed emotion. But, one night, he finds out that she is very expressive, through dance."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grace

He got maybe 4 hours on a good night, the nightmares had a habit of cutting things short. The good news was that he didn’t need much more, having been asleep for 70 years must have stocked up his sleep reserves. At least that’s what he told himself. These days he made use of every waking minute as best he could, and he was actually starting to enjoy his 4am workouts: the gym was always blissfully empty (and most importantly, Tony-free), and he got to destroy heavy bag after heavy bag without snide commentary from anyone. This morning though the lights were already on, he could see them from the hallway. He hoped that maybe the janitors forgot to turn them off the night before, but as he approached he heard the soft sound of piano music. A sigh of relief leaves him, because whoever was enjoying a morning workout most definitely wasn’t Tony. He wasn’t sure he could handle the entire AC/DC discography this early in the morning. 

Normally he’d toss his duffel bag in the corner and break out the jump ropes to warm up, but Steve found himself transfixed in the doorway of the gym this morning. Natasha was graceful, he knew that much from the battlefield. He didn’t know much else about her, though. The woman was even less forthcoming than he was (a fact he appreciated and respected), but she seemed to handle all matters on and off the battlefield with a type of military precision and polarized pragmatism that made her seem downright callous (a fact he didn’t appreciate). The sight he was witnessing now, however, completely revised his image of her. She wore plain black shorts and a large T-shirt that had seen better days. It was cut off above the waist and the collar was stretched out in a way that highlighted her shoulders and collar bone just so. Her movements were fluid, but unlike her striking blows on the battlefield, she was now gliding across the mat of the gym without a purpose or mission. Each step, each flourish, each turn seemed to emanate from within her, without a plan or target in mind. It was beautiful to watch. It was intimate. Steve felt he was intruding and turned to leave.

"You gonna come in, soldier, or are you just gonna stand there and gawk at me?" she spoke to him without stopping or looking at him.

"I’m sorry Natasha, I didn’t mean to interrupt."

She had stopped dancing now and faced him, tying her hair in a messy bun as she spoke. “It’s okay, I was pretty much done anyway.”

"I didn’t know you could dance like that."

"It’s not a fact I advertise."

"You’re —- I mean that was beautiful."

She cocked her head and studied his face in that way that made him second guess every decision he had ever made in his life. Finally, she smiled.

"Meet me in the kitchen later if you work up an appetite." she called over her shoulder as she sashayed out of the gym.

Steve wasn’t sure that she was referring to food.


End file.
